We all know exactly how old we are in years and with the celebration of each birthday comes also the sobering reminder of just how quickly time is ticking by. But how old is your body REALLY- are you as young as you think you are? The bad news is the wrong sort of diet and lifestyle could actually mean you're aging faster than you should be, without even knowing it.

The good news is that in a small lab in Leederville, a revolutionary science is turning back the hands of time. With cutting edge technology, it's now possible to measure the aging process from the inside. Before we used to watch and wait to see how our bodies were being externally ravaged by time, but this new system measures exactly how our bodies are aging internally. This incredible advancement forecasts overall health and longevity and provides you with your REAL age.

For many this thought is quite scary, but there's also a very positive spin. Once it's been discovered what's making your body old, it's then possible to reverse the process, stop aging and make your body young again. In the same way that you can stack on the years, it's now actually possible to strip them off.

It's the closest thing to a fountain of youth that Perth's ever seen.

Bio Impedance Analysis (BIA), is also know as Cellular Health analysis, and is used by NASA to track the body compositional changes of astronauts while they travel in space. Conducted at the Cambridge Health Centre by naturopaths Eleanor McKenzie Russell and Marion Volk, it's an empowering tool. Marion explains. "The system measures the integrity of the cells in your body. Our aim is to encourage people to be proactive as far as their health is concerned and the patients we can serve best are those that want to actively change their lives by actively changing their health; people who want to be in control".

If you are tired of diets that constantly seem to fail or sick of exercising madly for little or no result, BIA can make all the difference. The theory is basic - the key to a person's fitness level lies in the ratio between the body's fat and muscles stores - a healthy person will have more muscle than fat. Most of us are wrongly obsessed with the bathroom scales, which just can't provide these pivotal figures. By measuring the way a low dose of electrical current flows through the body, your composition is determined. Lean tissues, such as muscles, are great conductors of electricity, while fat and bone are poor conductors. This system is ground-breaking in that it's the first method to accurately gauge body cell mass weight - that's the weight of your muscle and organ tissue plus red cells and tissue cells. And this information is vital, as building muscle mass is the most effective way to combat aging.

The best part is that it's a painless five-minute test that anyone can do. While the thought of having an electrical current running through your body might be frightening, patients don't feel a thing and are often more scared of hopping on the scales to be confronted with the dreaded kilo count!

In order to road test BIA, we found three volunteers who bravely agreed to be put under the microscope. First up,
Sami Renouf-Bromley
If the name is familiar, it's because you've seen her perfectly toned, tanned and terrific body in flashy advertisements promoting Renouf Personal Training Centres. A former World Fitness Champion, this gym goddess has dedicated half of her life to creating a body most women only dream about. But it's taken thousands of hours of running, jumping and pumping and almost as many meals of egg whites and tuna to get there. " In my early twenties, when I was teaching, I used to run from Fremantle to Claremont, then get a lift and run from Daglish to Lords in Shenton Park, then do an hour of aerobics, followed by forty five minutes of weights". And that was after work on an average day.

Now on the brink of turning forty-one, life is somewhat slower - just the thought of her former grueling schedule makes Sami cringe. For the last decade she's been on a maintenance programme of low impact aerobics and Pilates to increase strength and flexibility. Her mission is to keep strong and avoid injuries, which means long distance running these days is completely out. The last year had been particularly stressful for Sami's body, with some physical traumas leaving her feeling very out of sorts. She predicted that BIA may reveal she's not only forty on her birth certificate, but forty on the inside, as well.

So it was an anxious Sami that stepped on the scales for the official weigh in. Unbelievably she wasn't fussed whether she left her boots on or took them off and was also keen to have a crack at guessing the result. Sixty-two kilos, she reckoned.

And as the digital numbers came up, even Eleanor and Marian had to double take. The reading? Sixty-two point zero. This is a lady who knows her body. First hurdle over, Sami's reading was done and within minutes the computer print out ready. The moment of biological truth had come.

A squeal of delight signaled the good news. Sami might be blowing out more than forty candles next birthday, but her body was celebrating a different age - that of thirty-three.

Her report card was about the best you could get; perfect body weight combined with great muscle definition. Sami's fluid retention was very high, however, probably due to her body being recently stressed and not helped by low magnesium levels. Marion says a good spring clean is in order, suggesting a diet filled with fresh, unprocessed foods and lots of protein. Magnesium levels can be pumped up naturally by eating more almonds, avocados and green leafy vegetables.

"I'm feeling very brave!" exclaimed our next guinea pig, new mum
Angela Rampton
With ten week old James and toddler Ben keeping her busy, it's not surprising there's little time left to look after herself. Eating a moderately healthy diet - low fat cereal and yoghurt for breakfast, soup or sandwiches for lunch and stir-fries or curry and rice for dinner - she's not as active as she'd like. "I try and exercise weekly by taking the kids for walks in the park - but you have to remember you're going at the pace of a three year old!" Angela wasn't expecting any incredible results. At twenty-nine she's still breast-feeding and carrying extra weight, admirably grabbing this opportunity to kick start a new post-baby health regime.

She's not surprised when her biological age ticks in at thirty-three, four years older than she actually is. Marion advises the key to loosing weight is to cut out sugar - that means no lollies, soft drinks or cookies and a diet based on fresh fruit and vegetables plus meat, pulses and nuts. Angela's danger time is mid afternoon when strong cravings find her reaching for the biscuit barrel for a quick fix of something sweet. The answer - matchstick vegetables like carrots, celery and capsicum with some low fat cheese and a tomato, or a piece of chicken. The trick at these low times is to keep blood sugar levels steady by combining carbohydrates with protein which also helps sustain energy. Angela should also drink lots of water throughout the day, but not with meals as this dilutes the stomach's digestive fluids. And the last piece of advice for this new mum is to relax a little more and find time for herself, even if that means curling up on the couch with a good book.

By this stage our third volunteer,
Rob Grummet,
was pacing up and down. As an Information Technology professional he faces not only the pressure of long hours and tight deadlines, but also confessed to having to deal with the extra burden of the dreaded business lunch! A red wine fan, Rob rarely exercises and is convinced his cells are going to expose him as being much older than his fifty-two years.

Underestimating his weight by almost a stone, Rob came in at over ninety-five kilos. The rest of his report, however, was good. His water levels were perfect and diet the same, supplying the right amount of minerals; especially magnesium. Rob's clearly delighted when it's announced his biological age is forty-nine.

He needs to focus now on dropping six to eight kilos by taking control of those corporate lunches. Marion's hints include starting with a big glass of water and avoiding the breadbasket; opting for salads, or vegetable based soups instead. He should choose grilled fish or meat off the menu, a jacket potato instead of fries and fresh fruit for desert. A good breakfast will ensure Rob isn't starving when he sits down to eat and the big challenge-go easy on the alcohol! Some daily exercise will make all the difference and a few gym sessions each week will build muscle and raise Rob's metabolic rate so he's burning more calories.

BIA boasts some incredible success stories, with people slashing up to thirty years off their biological age in just months. It works for people of all sizes and shapes - even pregnant ladies or those with pacemakers. The individual report cards reveal information it would be otherwise impossible to get - how heavy your bones are, how many calories a day you need to maintain your weight, how many grams of fat you should consume to slim down, even how much water you should drink daily.

Naturopath Marion Volk both has an impressive list of qualifications and very reassuring bedside manners. A consultation takes about an hour and is extremely comprehensive so that exactly the right programme can be designed to suit individual needs. The most inspiring part of the BIA process is that it guarantees you're on the right track as after following the diet and lifestyle suggestions you can return a few months later for new reading to see the exact benefits of your hard work. This is enough to motivate Sami, Angela and Rob to agree to follow their plans and check-in again before Christmas in the hope of being much healthier. May the force (electrical or otherwise) be with them!

BIO IMPEDANCE ANALYSIS costs $70.00 for a consultation, testing and analysis. Health Rebates are available. For more information visit www.cambridgehealth.com.au or phone (08) 6380-2643.